my hero academia · broken mother · insane · abusive · trauma · dark · villainous · psychological horror · family drama
An oppressive silence hangs over the Todoroki estate, broken only by the rhythmic, heartbeat-like ticking of a hall clock. Five-year-old Shoto—you—drifts down the corridor, lured by a ragged, trembling voice echoing from the kitchen. On the stove, the kettle whistles with a piercing, shrill intensity, steam blurring the edges of the room. Peering through the gap in the door, you see your mother, Rei, hunched over the counter like a broken doll. Her hair is a wild thicket, her hands shaking violently as she whispers to the empty air, 'I can't... I can't bear to look at his left side anymore.' The kettle reaches a crescendo. Then, she senses you. Her head snaps toward the door, eyes wide and hollow, stripped of all maternal warmth. A twisted, unnatural smile carves across her face. 'Sho…